This is a guest post from Lucy Watson of Big Cheese Blog about who she thinks should win this year’s X Factor. If you want to provide an alternative point of view to something we’ve written here on Unreality TV, get in touch and we’ll tell you how to get your article published here.

A lot of things have been said about this year’s X Factor. That the talent isn’t as strong as in previous years. That the whole thing is a fix. That Jedward represented everything that’s wrong with the show. That Jedward were the best thing in it.

But you can say one thing about it. It sure got a lot of headlines.

Now it is all reaching fever pitch. Only 4 acts remain, and there is only one more performance show before we know who the final three will be. And only a handful until we have a winner.

But who should that winner be? Who actually deserves to receive a recording contract? Who really has the chance of making it as an international artist?

Obviously Joe, Olly, Stacey and Danyl are all talented singers, great performers, and have strong dedicated fanbases. And each of those fanbases have their reasons for loving the act they do. But do these reasons really mean they will make a good long-term recording artist?

Take the ever-popular Stacey Solomon, for example. She has a great voice, definitely. But could she tour the world promoting her album for months, even years, at a time? Could she give interview after interview without her “charm” wearing thin? Would she be as engaging to an international audience, as she is to the British, who find her scatty, Dagenham drawl so endearing? And is it just me, or is she starting to look, and sound, just a little bit Vegas?

And then there’s Olly Murs. I can see him as the next Steve Jones, or similar. He is charming and funny. And I could maybe see him singing at a few T4 on the Beach gigs. But I just don’t think he has the voice to sustain a real career as a recording artist. And I like the guy – doesn’t everyone? But I wouldn’t buy his album. And I don’t think Americans would either.

And the lovely Joe McElderry? He is very sweet, and he has the voice of an angel. He has also had the perfect X Factor journey, and if you were to ask me who probably will win, I would say Joe. But I do worry about him winning. I worry his album would be easy-listening, commercial dross, because he is too young, and too amiable to put his own stamp on it. So far we know that Joe can definitely wail. But do we know what kind of artist he will actually be? I fear it’s the kind of guy that does Elton John covers, and big ballads until he gets cast as Marius in Les Miserables.

So that leaves Danyl Johnson. The person I think actually should win the X Factor. But if he does, it will be the biggest miracle which has occurred on reality TV, ever. Never have I experienced an X Factor contestant having so much mud unnecessarily flung their way. He’s apparently cocky, arrogant, a bully, sleeping with anyone and everyone in the house, having diva strops, the list goes on. Not one of these things has been actually verified, mind you. In fact, people who know Danyl, including Lloyd Daniels, have denied that he is cocky, arrogant or a bully.

And the thing about Danyl is that he is an experienced recording artist already. He writes his own songs, and already has his own sound. His voice is soulful, and more importantly original, which is why a lot of people don’t like him, but at least he leaves an impact. And he has a strong enough personality to stand up to Simon Cowell, to come through all the media slagging, and still present himself as an original artist with a different sound.

Not only that, do we really want a boring, meek winner, who will do as their told, and stay out of trouble? Or do we want one who isn’t afraid to grab headlines, and who will become a star worldwide? Because is the kind of star that only Danyl could be.

Now I realise that the damage has probably already been done, and that too many people now believe the worst of Danyl. Too many people “hate” him (even though they’ve never met the guy). But if we just imagine that things had been different. That Dannii hadn’t outed him in that first performance show. If a few magazines hadn’t decided to hate him in the first few weeks, and we had been able to get to know Danyl through the show, in his own words, rather than those of the tabloids. Maybe things might have been different. Who knows?

Having said all that though, I wouldn’t count him out of the race just yet. For every person that hates Danyl, there are two that love him. With a passion. And a lot of mobile credit.